1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an inhalator apparatus including a container for holding a liquid inhalant, in which the tip of a suction cone adapted to be rotated by an electric motor is submerged in liquid inhalant and rotated to produce a zone of spray along the upper peripheral edge of the suction cone, an air inlet terminates in the spray zone, and the mixture of liquid inhalant and air is discharged in the form of a fine mist from an aerosol outlet.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An inhalator apparatus of this general type is described in German Patent Publication No. OS 32 42 128. In this prior art inhalator, the suction cone, by virtue of its rotary motion, causes the liquid inhalant to be swirled up on its exterior surface until it reaches the peripheral rim of the cone. There the inhalant is dispersed by centrifugal force and is vaporized, creating a zone of fine mist or spray. The air inlet comprises several intake pipes which run parallel to the drive shaft of the suction cone and are grouped around the suction cone such that their openings are located below the peripheral edge of the suction cone and thus below the spray zone. The aerosol outlet is located above the spray zone, causing the intake air on its way to the outlet opening to pass through the spray zone where it is mixed with the vaporized inhalant.
In this prior art inhalator, uniform mixing of the intake air with the vaporized inhalant is difficult to achieve because of the asymmetrical placement of suction cone and air intake. Moreover, vaporization of the liquid inhalant is not fine enough and depends in large measure on the suction action at the aerosol outlet.
Improvement in the degree of vaporization of liquid inhalant is achieved with an inhalator disclosed in German Utility Model No. 83 28 261. In this inhalator, a hollow suction cone is enhanced in terms of its surface area by a hollow cylindrical vortical structural member joined to the peripheral edge of the suction cone, the two component parts in communication by means of a chamber disposed in front and provided with radial bores. The side of the vortical part facing away from the suction cone has a depression in the center from which additional radial bores spread outwardly. The tubular air intake is concentric with the drive shaft of the suction cone and is inserted into the depression provided in the vortical part. The aerosol discharge opening is located above the vortical member.
In this prior art inhalator, liquid inhalant is caused to swirl up on the exterior and interior walls of the hollow suction cone and is vaporized along the peripheral edge and/or in the radial bores of the vortical part. While this results in an increase in the volume of liquid inhalant conveyed, the degree of vaporization is not improved. The extent of mixing of vaporized inhalant with intake air is improved somewhat due to locating the air intake in the center. However, to achieve this result, a voluminous and complex suction cone is required and this is a serious drawback in view of the necessary high rotational speed.